But perhaps Harden and McHale missed the greater point, at least as it relates to Harden's partnership with Paul. Paul does not have to replace Harden as the Rockets' leader any more than Harden will cede all ballhandling to Paul.

The idea is that, with personalities and styles the Rockets believe will mesh, Harden and Paul will work together better than apart.

As the Rockets chase Golden State, beginning when they open the season against the Warriors on Tuesday, the success of their quest to reach the Western Conference finals or beyond could come down to Paul and Harden, Harden and Paul, and how successfully they lead the Rockets.

"Personalities are not the same with anyone, but it fits," Harden said. "I can adjust to anybody. Anybody that is a leader can figure it out and work together. That's just how life works. Anybody that works hard and has a great work ethic and loves and is passionate about something will be able to mesh and work together no matter what. We bring those qualities out of each other, me and CP. It's bound to work."

Paul has been a leader before anyone beyond Lewisville, N.C. had heard of him. He emulated his father and his late grandfather. He was his high school's student body president not just when he was a senior - and homecoming king - but in all four years he was there. He is not just his team's union representative, he is president of the National Basketball Players Association.

But he has evolved.

"You pay attention to stuff," Paul said. "I don't think there is always just one particular way to lead. I've always been hard on myself, my teammates. I was real crazy back in New Orleans, like really. You learn. You adjust. Each teammate, you have to talk to differently."

When Paul arrived in Houston in July and went through five hours of medical testing, Rockets trainer Jason Biles had been around him long enough to arrive at a question.

"He asked me if I played other sports," Paul said. "I said, 'Yeah, I played football. I was the quarterback.' He said, 'You always have to be in control, huh?' That may be the case. I've always sort of been in the leadership role.

"I always say, my whole life I've been the point guard or I've been the quarterback. You sort of figure it out. But some people are not going to like it. Some people are not going to like the way you do stuff."

Paul has long accepted that, but it is not just instincts. He has studied leadership, watching teammates and coaches, but also leaders in business and other fields.

"One thing I know being the leader, not everybody is going to like you," he said. "I read a quote from Steve Jobs. It said, 'If you want to be liked, don't be a leader; go sell ice cream.' If you're going to be a leader, not everybody is going to like you. They're not always going to like the decisions that you make. I think I sort of fit in that category."

Harden is not afraid to challenge a teammate, but his natural inclination is to be non-confrontational. He has always been most proud of whatever influence can be gleaned from his work ethic, a drive that even his detractors cannot dispute.

After the Rockets' slide to a disappointing 41-41 in the 2014-15 season, often marked by dysfunction and Harden's chilly relationship with Dwight Howard, Harden assumed a greater leadership role. He organized offseason workouts. He was more vocal in practices. He was more comfortable than ever with his role.

"There's different types of leaders," Harden said. "I've always been a leader with my work ethic, just becoming more comfortable communicating and being a vocal leader, and knowing the guys you're leading, knowing what's around you. Then, it's just going out of my way a lot more than I always had. It's one thing to show the person, but it's also going out there making sure the person feels they're loved, that they feel welcome at all times.

"Some people, they just don't have the qualities of being a leader, whether you are younger or older. Some do. When you are young and have those qualities, you can build on them. I got better every single year at that. I still have a long way to go."

Though Harden speaks up much more often than he had, Paul takes that to another extra level - pushing, encouraging and nearly as often, inquiring.

"Part of it is my curiosity," he said. "I always ask a lot of questions. Some of my coaches will say I'm always talking. Part of that is because I'm always questioning, trying to learn as much as I can so I feel like I can talk. That's who I am."

That also is a reason the Rockets believe the mix of personalities can work. If Harden had as much to say as Paul, it could be too much. If Paul said as little as Harden, it could be too similar to the pairing of Harden and Howard, when issues simmered under the surface with even the frequent team meetings unable to bring them out.

"Chris leads by talking and James leads by example," said Rockets guard Bobby Brown, a longtime friend of both. "When you have that, when you have both of them, it's definitely good for our team. James brings it every night. You have CP who brings it and he's telling people what to do. We were just talking about that. 'Man, you're always talking.' But that's his personality. That's how he leads.

"It fits better that way together. We've been jelling since we got together this summer. James is starting to talk more. You can see a lot of it rubbing off."

Harden said he already has learned from Paul. But Paul also already credits Harden for influencing him. They have spoken about leadership, but mostly they will let it happen, inspiring one another naturally the way leaders do.

"It's been fun for me to be here with James, to enjoy that part of it," Paul said. "We talk about it, but we're also just experiencing all this. Everything is not calculated. We're just having fun, enjoying this process."

Jonathan Feigen has been the Rockets beat writer since 1998 and a basketball nut since before Willis Reed limped out for Game 7. He became a sports writer because the reporter that was supposed to cover the University of Delaware basketball team decided to instead play one more season of college lacrosse and has never looked back.

Feigen, who has won APSE, APME and United States Basketball Writers Association awards from El Campo to Houston, came to Texas in 1981 to cover the Rice Birds, was Sports Editor in Garland before moving to Dallas to cover everything from the final hurrah of the Southwest Conference to SMU after the death penalty.

After joining the Houston Chronicle in 1990, Feigen has covered the demise of the SWC, the rise of the Big 12 and the Rockets at their championship best.